How I built a home gym without spending more than $250 on any exercise machine

Feb 22, 2024

It goes without saying that gyms across the country took a huge hit in 2020 and it may still be several years before some of them fully recover. But as much as I love going to the gym and as much as I’m rooting for small independent gym owners, there’s no way I’m going back to the gym anytime soon.

Interactive fitness apps are more than enough to motivate me, and they’re typically much less expensive than a gym membership. On top of that, I’ve spent the past year building my own home gym with all the exercise machines I need. No, I didn’t spend thousands and thousands of dollars building a home gym. Believe it or not, the figure is actually in the hundreds. How did I pull it off? Simple: Amazon is packed full of well-reviewed home gym gear that costs so much less than you think.

Did you know you can get a really good flywheel-style exercise bike for just $181? How about a best-selling mechanical treadmill for only $147? You won’t believe the kind of value you can at Amazon if you know where to look. And lucky for you, we’re going to show you exactly where to look.

Skipping the gym doesn’t have to mean skipping workouts. If you think you can’t afford a home gym, think again because there are some fantastic deals over at Amazon right now on all sorts of exercise equipment. Instead of paying $50 or $60 each month on a gym membership, why not get your own gear and watch it pay for itself in no time? We gave you two great examples above, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Other hot home gym deals on Amazon right now include a foldable exercise bike for $160, an electric treadmill for $225, and an elliptical trainer for just $179!

There are so many great deals available right now in Amazon’s exercise and fitness section, and you’ll find five particularly impressive and affordable options down below.

fully adjustable seat, can be adjusted up/down and forward/back. foam grip handles can be adjusted up/down

chain drive provides realistic, smooth and quiet workouts

adjustable resistance for variable workout

heavy-duty crank and steel frame construction with a 30 lb chromed solid flywheel

Steel Frame with powder-coated finish, Wide side rails for safety

Oversized belt rollers provide a very smooth and consistent walking experience

Incline adjustments feature quick and easy 2 position incline levels of 6 and 10 degrees

Longer handles with foam grips provide for walking security and loss of balance

[Healthy exercise]:Supports different running speeds of 1-10KM / H, starting from walking, step by step, variable speed fast running, fast fat burning

[Space-saving design]: The treadmill can be carried and folded for easy installation and placement. It can be placed under the bed, under the TV cabinet, vertically in the corner, and on the balcony, without taking up space

[Respiratory balanced shock absorption]: The hidden breathing shock absorption column is evenly distributed on the running board and the frame compartment, and you can get a good shock absorption effect no matter you step on any area of the running board

[screen operation]: Simplify the main control interface. Highly centralized the complex control interface. Use fewer operations to achieve more functions. Simpler and easier to use

RESISTANCE: Easily adjust the intensity of your workout with the twist of the precise micro-controller equipped with 8 levels of magnetic resistance.

DIGITAL MONITOR WITH PULSE: Follow along with your workout progress on the digital monitor that displays your time, speed, distance, calories, and pulse.

【3-IN-1 EXERCISE BIKE with TENSION ROPE】You can convert (turning knob) the stationary bike to upright form which gives you a high-intensity exercise to challenge yourself. Recumbent or semi-recurrent brings you a less strenuous workout. The arm tension resistance bands come with exercise bike stationary, you can train arm muscles and upper body in order to to achieve a balanced and scientific full-body training

【8 LEVELS ADJUSTABLE MAGNETIC RESISTANCE】This magnetic exercise bike is compatible with different workout strengths for not only different aged groups from beginner to professional and different but also different stages of your exercise(warm-up to strenuous training) due to 8 levels of magnetic resistance adjustment. The magnetic wheel differs from a traditional chain wheel, so this exercise bike ensures a smooth and quiet riding experience. Do not worry about your baby waking up!

【LCD DISPLAY & PHONE HOLDER】MaxKare exercise cycle includes phone/Pad mount, you can enjoy favorite entertainment while cycling. Pulse track your heart rate and the digital LCD monitor display the fitness data including the heart rate, time, speed, distance cycled and calories burned clearly. Hence you know if your current amount of exercise is suitable for your health.

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See the original version of this article on BGR.com